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Canned Pumpkin for firmer stools
My dog has soft stools, nothing runny but soft and we are beginning to think it is what is causing problems with her anal glands. She eats a high quality dog food and is excercized daily. I heard that adding Pumpkin will firm up her stools. I added some to her food, but maybe I added too much. How much Pumpkin do I add? Tonight she had a bowel movement and it was much softer then usual and smelled horrible. This was after giving her Pumpkin. Could the Pumpkin have the opposite effect?
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Ruby
on Mar 16th 2010
in Vitamin Supplements
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Many see pumpkin as the miracle cure. I would have the dog checked by the vet for parasites. If done before, the vet may have missed something.
Also, overfeeding will lead to soft stools. Your dog definitely should be narrower at the waist than the hips and chest. You should be able to easily feel the ribs, but not see them. Each dog is different. Standard recommendations are a good place to start, but each dog must have its food and exercise adjusted to its individual needs. Here is a link to a good illustrated guide, www.longliveyourdog.com
Aster
answered on 3/17/10.
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Poor baby.
I think maybe try adding just a tablespoon to her meal at first. Not much, maybe even LESS than that. Then, see how she tolerates it and how it effects the stool.
It's powerful stuff, and it can work both ways. Just enough can firm them up, too much can cause diarrhea. So, yes, the pumpkin CAN have the opposite effect. I know some people use it when dogs are constipated due to medication side effects.
I tried this with Jack once when he was a puppy and it worked ok, but I couldn't see giving it to him every day. Eventually, we did find a good food for him. I know Ruby has had a lot of tummy/stool issues and that she's on an excellent food. But could her food be too rich for her?
I know with Jack I'd love to be feeding him Orijen, but even in small amounts, it's just too rich for him and he gets almost immediate diarrhea.
Jack
answered on 3/17/10.
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Jack is correct that pumpkin works both ways. Consider a slow change to a different food which names meat as the top 5 ingredients. Or do your dog a favor and switch to raw, which is what your dog is designed to eat.
K-10 Von Canein
answered on 3/17/10.
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what are you feeding.?
kibble stools do smell awful. We no longer feed kibble do to all kinds of symptomatic problems each dog had.
You might want to switch proteins or brands if one is making the dog's system upset.
Pumpkin only covers the real problem. Once the body adjusts to the pumpkin and the dog gets warm then the stools go wild again.
I think the pumpkin also has to be plain and no spices. I did see pumpkin for dogs but I don't remember the name of the com.
It was expensive too.
I can't give my dog veggies, rice and pumpkin/ squash it makes her very sick and rocket butt bad. Pumpkin is not something all dogs can deal with.
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Dieta
answered on 3/17/10.
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When my dog has dietary issues, I find it is often because they do not get enough calcium in their diets. When I added bone meal to their diet, their stools became normal. Try adding a teaspoon of bonemeal to her food each day. Be careful when purchasing bonemeal because many of them will have excess chemicals because it is not graded for human consumption. I would recommend Solid Gold brand steamed bonemeal.
Nazareth
answered on 3/22/10.
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I have an akita pup who had the same problem, and I started feeding him taste of the wild (a gourmet 6 star dog food) and I would definitely request it, it worked miracles. Also, pumpkin should be does 1 tbsp per ten pounds. I get my pumpkin from my work, Woof Gang Bakery. I would suggest seeing if there is one close to where you live and if not see if you can find taste of the wild somewhere else locally.
Zeppelin
answered on 12/31/11.
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